(Hyunhui Mansion, Songak)

~Jung's POV~

I was still worried that I had upset Hyeong as what I said yesterday had come as a surprise. After visiting my 9th brother Won and his family, I decided to pay her a visit and check on her. Geolsang's training could wait. When he and I would become brothers-in-law no doubt we could train practically every day.

"I'm glad you're here. I think I would like to continue the conversation we couldn't finish last night," she said. At least today she was not crying anymore and was smiling when she welcomed me. Phew.

"Sure," I nodded. "You said that you had doubts about whether or not you're ready to go into this marriage, right?"

"Yes. I want to explain myself to you. Before I see you as my future husband, I see you as my friend, and I want to tell you how I feel and why I feel this way. I hope you can understand," she took a deep breath and began. "I think you know the part about His Majesty the King expressing his wish that I wed one of the unmarried Princes. But it was really a couple of weeks before that that my heart's dilemma started. I met someone that I've developed a liking for. You probably won't like to hear this but I'd rather you find out from me than any other way: it's your 3rd brother Prince Yo."

Astounding! It was Yo, out of all people. I didn't even know that they interacted at all, beyond basic formalities.

Once the shock subsided, I was expecting to feel something more negative. Like confusion, disappointment, or maybe even anger. But I felt none of that. Which just led to more surprise.

"Jung-ah, please say something," she pleaded faintly and got worried. "If you're mad at me, I —"

"No, no. That's not…" I said quickly. "I'm not mad. I just...didn't expect that. Kind of like how you felt when you found out you were going to get married sooner than you thought, I'm guessing? Completely taken aback. But not angry or disappointed. Just disoriented and stunned."

"Yes, that's what it felt like," she agreed weakly. "You probably don't want me to continue. I won't put you through it —"

"I want to hear it," I reassured her. "Now I know why you were asking about my 3rd brother the other day. I want to know how you feel. You don't owe me anything. I'll just listen to you."

She licked her lips and continued. "We met for the first time right outside your 9th brother Won's house, when you and all your siblings were at Okrin Palace to see your nephews, and I was just leaving. The moment I laid eyes on Prince Yo, I was captivated. You know how he can be with his swagger and his stare. It was just a lot about his looks at first, but we ran into each other a couple of times after that and I think there was a connection that I didn't have with anybody else. I began to care about looking my best when there's a chance that he might see me. I catch myself zoning out, thinking about him. But I never thought I meant much to him, because I knew who he was but he never knew who I was. Until he took me on a date and I really began to develop some sort of special feeling for him. Maybe it's not...love. But I felt something. I just didn't know what it was or what it meant," she explained. "We had such a lovely time together, and he hinted at his interest in me too but i didn't take it seriously because I didn't think that his interest in me would be anything more than fleeting and transient. We didn't see each other very often either. After all he does have two wives and I never presumed to think that I would bear any emotional significance to him. I was wrong."

"How did you find out about that?" I asked. Admittedly, I was slightly, just very slightly, disappointed, but I guessed it made sense to me why she would fall for my 3rd brother. He was older, wiser, more mature, and surely better able to take care of himself and more capable of fulfilling his responsibilities to the family he started. Me? I was just a boy. Even though Yo could be sardonic at times, I could say many good things about him. His leadership and charisma — he's confident and he always knew what he was doing. His commitment and determination — once he started, he'd be sure to finish, and he'd never give up halfway through, no matter what. His political acumen and insights — he could look at any situation with a clear head, and analyze his options well. Even our mother had frequently praised him for all these things and more, and I looked up to him too. I thought maybe I could understand why Hyeong might be falling for Yo.

"I couldn't believe I didn't catch on when he actually did tell me what I meant to him, on the night of my birthday when he staged fireworks for me. I'm an idiot," she sighed. "And then a couple of days after that, once the news had spread that I was betrothed to you, His Highness had actually approached me the afternoon right before we had dinner with your mother the Queen," she confessed. "He had made it known to me that he was expecting there to be something more between me and him, but my betrothal to you had made him disappointed. I told him that there was no way we could pursue anything more than being siblings in law. Believe me, Jung, I pushed him away."

"I believe you," I said steadfastly. "I trust you."

She looked visibly relieved, and went on. "He also told me that if I ever change my mind about him, if I decide that I don't want to give up on what I could have had with him, I could go to him and he would accept me."

"Well, do you want that with him?" I asked simply.

"I don't think I should…" she chewed on her lip, distraught.

"Hyeong-ah, I'm not asking whether or not you should want to be with him. I just want to know: a relationship with my 3rd brother, is this what you want? Is this what your heart desires? Would it make you happy?"

She looked around desperately, shifting in discomfort. Her eyes darted away in shame and she even tried to turn away from me, but I placed my hand on her shoulder to let her know that it was alright. Her lips were trembling when finally she whispered, "yes." She gulped. "I'm so sorry."

"Then go to him," I said resolutely.

"What?" She squeaked in disbelief. "No, you can't mean that."

"Go to him," I repeated myself just as firmly. "Look at you right now. Ever since you saw him on the night of your birthday, you haven't been happy without him. You haven't been the same. You need him. You don't want to lose the way you feel about him because of our betrothal. But whether or not we are betrothed, it won't change the way I feel about you, nor will it change the way you feel about him. There's no way I would allow myself to stand in the way of your happiness. You're already suffering enough by tormenting yourself with the constant dilemma between staying true to your future husband and staying true to your heart. As someone who loves you, I urge you to choose the latter. Go. Go to him. Stop torturing yourself already. Be happy."

"Is that really all that you want?" She asked, obviously still astonished. She couldn't believe I would react so calmly, I bet. But that was just because she had yet to understand the ways I loved her.

"Yes. That's all that I want. For you to be happy. But also be careful. I will guard your secrets with my life, but only as long as nobody else has knowledge of it," I said cautiously. "If your trysts with him stay clandestine, it would be easy enough for me to cover up for you."

She gasped. "That's too much. I can't ask of you to be an enabler."

"You're not asking," I said wittily. "I'm offering. I did say to you that I want to protect you, didn't I? That's what I'm going to do. I've told you before: you have my protection. I'm a man of my word."

"Jung-ah…" she shook her head. "I'm truly the last person in the world to ever deserve that kindness and love from you. You should've saved your love for a much worthier woman."

"No, you don't get to make that decision for me," I stated assertively. "I know what I want. I know what I have to do in order to get that. I will do it without complaint, as long as he treats you right. If he ever forgets to cherish you, or if being with him doesn't make you as happy as you thought it would, just don't forget that I'm still here. I'm always here for you."

She nodded and embraced me heartily. "I don't know what I've ever done to deserve your love. But what you like about me I will continue to do for you to the best of my ability. Above that, I am willing to be a friend that you need. We will find support and comfort with each other. We will be happy."

"We will," I smiled. I was sure of that. Compared to the majority of marriages manufactured in Songak, we would have a much more promising one.

(En route to Gameob Temple, outside the walls of Songak)

~Chronicler's POV~

King Taejo was bedridden for the rest of the day, but his illness was not solely responsible for putting him in this condition. The truth was that he had come down with an incurable case of remorse. His mind consisted only of the face of a maid who looked so much like Court Lady Oh that His Majesty was consumed by regret. That was why he was having the worst headache of his life. It didn't even hurt so much when he got injured on the battlefield...though of course back then, the thought of Sooyeon back home was what sustained him in battle. The pangs of guilt he felt were perpetuated by his recollection of what Sooyeon had said to him about their child and how she wished she could raise that child. He was plunged deeply into compunction, and his psychological distress had manifested itself somatically, which was severely weakening his health. Although his astronomer had assured him that his time was not here yet, Choi Jimong himself feared the day was nigh.

As a last ditch attempt, King Taejo had given his permission for his concubine to go to a temple outside Songak to pray. But Lady Dongsanwon herself knew that she would spend little time praying and much time sinning. Even her handmaiden Joomae knew what was about to happen.

Granted, Lord Geolha himself had showed up once the news that the King was sick again had spread around Court.

"I wasn't expecting you," said Lady Dongsanwon flirtatiously to her lover. Contrary to her words, she was dressed scantily and had been rather impatiently waiting for him already. "Don't you have a Princess to court?"

"Unfortunately, I do. Her Highness said that I was a fool," said Geolha casually as he took off each layer of his clothing. "She's not wrong. I'm a fool for you, Moongeum," he said earnestly, and kissed her passionately. Her lips were not meant for prayer; they were his to kiss. They were lovers, and if that made them sinners, then so be it.

(The royal court, Songak)

~Hae Soo's POV~

Today was the day that Myunghee and the 8th Prince would be bringing me and our retinue to one of the Hwangbo clan's residences in Hwangju. The countryside was believed to be a better place for Myunghee to be nursed back to health. After all, Songak could be a stressful place to be in, and all I wanted was just for Myunghee to get better quickly, even though the court physicians were not hopeful that she would recover. Of course, Prince Wook and I and all the maids around Myunghee kept her unbeknownst to the prognosis. She needed hope, a sense of prospect, and the will to live, in order to become healthy again.

I looked over my shoulder and glanced at the royal court of Goryeo one last time, trying to memorize each part of the palace.

The Damiwon bath, the portal connected my world to Goryeo. I still didn't know how I got here, but here I was now, and I had to make the best of it.

Yeondeok Palace, the place I called home. Even though Princess Yeonhwa lived here too and it was not a pleasure to coexist with Her Highness, Myunghee lived here with me too. My family was here. Not to mention I had Chaeryung, my best friend who's like a little sister to me. Equally importantly, the 8th Prince was here, and he was my rock.

Rongjang Palace, the residence of the 10th Prince Eun, my first ever friend in Goryeo. We shared so much laughter and joy, and I was truly honored to be his friend.

Seongmok Palace, the residence of the 13th Prince Baekah, another close friend of mine. From him I learnt a lot about the ways of the Court, lessons I would keep with me and bear in mind even though I was about to leave this place now.

Hyunhui Mansion, the residence of Lady An Hyeong who had the heart to offer to make glue with me, who comforted me after Chaeryung and I got whipped, and whose birthday I was there to celebrate.

The rest of it consisted of residences I'd never visited, and countless hallways and corridors in which I'd been threatened numerous times by the 4th Prince So. I shuddered. That, I was eager to leave behind. But I also couldn't help but wonder why he was the way he was. Was it because he got hurt, and so his temper was his line of defense? Was he so sensitive because he tended to keep things to himself and therefore had a lot of emotions bottled up? Or could it be because deep down inside he was lonely, and merely went out of his way to make the people around him pay attention to his feelings? I could not get him out of my mind, my sight, or my life, even if I wanted to. All of these possibilities just led me to think that perhaps like me, he could be fighting for his survival, in that seemingly illustrious but in fact dark place that we called the royal court. In a way, all of us were grasping for survival. Even though he tended to scare off all the people around him, he's just as much human as I was, and it's sad that he might not have the love and affection from those around him when that was what he needed the most. To always be an outsider, to be isolated and labelled, to be ostracized and scorned...the 4th Prince had it tough, huh.

"Soo-ya, are you ready to go?" Myunghee asked softly.

I nodded, and we proceeded to the carriage that would take us to a place I'd never been to before. I didn't know what it held for me, but I went along with it anyway. Maybe it'd be tough. Maybe it'd be an uphill battle. Maybe it'd put my mental strength to the test. I was not afraid. Not anymore. It wasn't me against the world. It was me and all my loved ones — they were my world.

A/n: Wook and the Hae ladies are moving to Hwangju for a while! Readers, do you think it will be for better or for worse? :O